When someone installs artificial turf in their house, whether in the garden, around the pool, in an inner courtyard or on a terrace, they expect it to last for many years. That artificial grass will be outdoors against frost, rain, wind, and especially UV rays.
Artificial grass is manufactured mostly with Polyethylene and Polypropylene, materials that, if exposed to UV rays, degrade quickly. Hence the importance that the thread has a good protection against UV rays. This protection is achieved by additives added in the thread extrusion/manufacturing process.
For a while, as artificial turf gains popularity thanks to its advantages, apparent products have appeared and at very economical prices from Asian countries. But after a few years, we are also seeing how these products don’t meet the guarantees of durability, and we are getting samples of artificial turf that has only been installed 3 or 4 years, and with almost no use, with no color left and fibers visibly degraded (See photos).
How can I know if the turf they are selling to me is well protected against UV rays?
The answer is not simple, since it isn’t something that can be seen with the naked eye or something that is described in the data sheet, although there are some clues that can help you:
- It is important to find out who is the real manufacturer, since there are many companies that present themselves as manufacturers when they are actually importing turf from Asian countries with lower qualities and offering it with guarantees as if it were manufactured in Europe. It’s much more difficult for you to have problems if the actual manufacturer of the product is European. The ESTC is a European association that groups the artificial turf industry, here you can see all the members (https://www.estc.info/members/)
- Look at the warranty the manufacturer offers, the usual for our country is between 5 and 9 years. Keep in mind that warranty doesn’t equal lifespan.
- Look at the thickness of the thread in microns. If you want to know more about it, you can read the following article.
- The price. Very low prices are usually related with very low quality.
We hope this article helps you choose your artificial turf.
If you have had any similar experience, tell us the details in the comments.
